Sri Lanka reviews land transfer to China as port deal draws scrutiny
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka is reconsidering the outright transfer of a parcel of land to China under a $1.5 billion port city deal signed by a previous government, the energy minister said, amid concerns it could be used for Chinese naval activity.
At least 40 injured, 100 evacuated after fire in Dutch apartment block
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – More than 40 people were injured in an early morning fire at a large apartment building in the eastern Dutch city of Nijmegen, the regional crisis center said on Friday.
Indian police arrest seven for theft, sale of oil ministry papers
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian police have arrested seven people, including government employees and a former journalist, whom they said ran a scam to steal official documents from India’s oil ministry and sell them to energy consultants and large privat…
Mozambique freight train derails, at least 17 dead
MAPUTO (Reuters) – At least 17 people were killed after a freight train carrying commuters and merchandise including coal derailed in Mozambique’s capital on Thursday, a railway company driver told Reuters on Friday.
Yemen parties agree on transitional council: U.N.
SANAA (Reuters) – Yemen’s feuding parties have agreed on a “people’s transitional council” to help govern the country and guide it out of a political crisis, U.N. mediator Jamal Benomar announced on Friday.
India’s Modi seeks humble, tolerant new image after poll rout
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – It’s out with the flashy suit, in with religious tolerance for India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking to soften his image after an electoral pounding in New Delhi and grumblings in his party about his top-down leader…
Magnitude 6.1 earthquake off northeast Japan, no damage expected
TOKYO (Reuters) – A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 hit off the northeast coast of Japan on Friday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Thailand bans surrogacy for foreigners in bid to end ‘rent-a-womb’ tourism
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s interim parliament has passed a law that bans foreigners from seeking surrogacy services to end a “rent-a-womb” industry that made the Southeast Asian country a top destination for fertility tourism.
Top China cotton producer resists reforms in restive Xinjiang
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s top cotton producer, a quasi-military body formed 60 years ago to settle the far west Xinjiang area, is resisting a government policy that could force it to cut output in an industry employing hundreds of thousands in the re…
Venezuela arrests opposition mayor accused of coup plot
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan arrested opposition leader and Caracas metropolitan mayor Antonio Ledezma on Thursday in a move the government said was needed to halt a U.S.-backed coup plot but foes decried as tyranny.
